Interstate 985
Interstate 985 (I-985) is a 25.01-mile-long (40.25 km) Auxiliary Interstate Highway spur route that branches off Interstate 85 in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Georgia. It links the Atlanta metropolitan area to the city of Gainesville via Suwanee. I-985 is also known as the Sidney Lanier Parkway and is also designated as unsigned State Route 419 (GA 419). The roadway was designated as I-985 in 1985. I-985 and GA 365 are concurrent for I-985's entire length, but only the I-985 signs are displayed. I-985 is also concurrent with US 23 from exit 4 northward. I-985 is the highest-numbered spur route of a north-south Interstate, and is third only to I-990, which serves the Buffalo metropolitan area, and I-995, which serves the Dover area to the Wilmington area in Delaware. Route description Gwinnett County In Gwinnett County, I-985 begins concurrent with GA 365 at an interchange with I-85 on the southeastern edge of Suwanee. The two highways head northeast to Buford, at an interchange with US 23/GA 20 (Buford Drive N.E.). Here, US 23 joins the concurrency of I-985/GA 365. Hall County The three routes head northeast into Hall County until they meet GA 347. In Flowery Branch they meet Spout Springs Road at the Rankin Smith Interchange. Then they enter Oakwood, and meet GA 53 (Mundy Mill Road), which doesn't have any return access from southbound I-985/US 23/GA 365. Just after, they enter Gainesville, where they intersect GA 13 (Atlanta Highway). Its interchange has access to both GA 13 and GA 53. Farther into Gainesville is GA 53 Connector/GA 60 (Candler Road/Queen City Parkway). In the main part of the city, US 129/US 129 Business/GA 11 (Athens Highway) meet the concurrency. US 129/GA 11 head south toward Jefferson, while US 129 joins the concurrency through the rest of the city. Meanwhile, US 129 Business/GA 11 head north into the heart of Gainesville. Nearly 2.5 miles (4.0 km) later US 129 departs to the north with GA 369 on Jesse Jewell Parkway. About 1.4 miles (2.3 km) later, I-985 ends, while US 23/GA 365 continues north. National Highway System All of I-985 is included as part of the National Highway System, a system of roadways important to the nation's economy, defense, and mobility. History Like I-575, I-985 was mostly constructed as a suburban spur highway, intended to serve an undevelopment area for future settlement, rather than as one to relieve traffic, or to link I-85 to an existing city or large town. 1920s The roadway that would eventually become I-985 was built at least as early as 1919 as GA 13 from Buford to just northeast of Gainesville, along the same alignment as it runs today. A reconfiguration of the GA 13 and GA 15 intersection in the Baldwin–Cornelia area, caused the two routes to run concurrently between the two cities. By the end of 1926, a small section in Gainesville was paved. By 1929, US 23 was designated along the section from Buford to Gainesville. 1930s and 1940s By 1932, US 23 was designated along the route all the way to Cornelia. In addition, the entire route, from Buford to the South Carolina state line, was paved. The next month, US 23, and possibly GA 13 was extended south from Buford. In 1935, after a long series of improvement projects, the section just south of Buford was paved. Between 1946 and 1948, US 123 entered the state, being routed on a concurrency with GA 13 between Toccoa and the state line. Prior to April 1949, US 123's concurrency with GA 13 was extended to Cornelia. During this time, US 441 was extended along GA 15, thus beginning a concurrency with GA 13. 1950s-1970s Between 1955 and 1957, a freeway (presumably I-85) was under construction from northeast Atlanta northeast to Suwannee, paralleling US 23/GA 13. Between 1957 and 1960, I-85 was completed as far north as what is now known as GA 317, which is located just southwest of what is now the southern terminus of I-985/GA 365, and by 1966, it was completed northeast of Atlanta within the state. In 1966, GA 365 was being projected as a freeway from its current southern terminus northeast and curving around the southeastern side of Gainesville. In 1969, the whole freeway section, with the exception of the southernmost portion from I-85 to US 23/GA 20, was completed. Also, the entire completed section was designated as GA 365. The next year, the southernmost segment was completed. By 1979, the GA 365 freeway was listed as "under construction" from the northern terminus of the freeway northeast to US 23/US 441/GA 15 near Cornelia. 1980s and 1990s Between 1980 and 1982, GA 365 was extended along the "under construction" section, but it was not a freeway. Also, US 23/GA 13 from Gainesville to Cornelia were moved onto this new highway. By 1986, the entire freeway segment was designated as I-985. Exit list See also * Interstate 285 (Georgia) * Interstate 575 * Interstate 675 (Georgia) Category:Interstate 985 Category:Interstate Highways Category:Highways and roads Category:Auxiliary Interstate Highways Category:Interstate Highways in Georgia Category:Interstate 85 Category:Spurs Category:Atlanta Category:Expressways in Georgia Category:Highways numbered 985